Hello, horror fans! Welcome to another edition of Underrated Horror Movie of the Month. Twice every month, on the second and fourth Fridays, I come here to talk about a horror film that I feel is underrated and underloved. Discussions range from favorite moments to rebutting common complaints. The chosen media can be from any decade or subgenre and originate from anywhere worldwide. In this edition, I bring you the 2005 movie, Cursed. Stick around to find out why I think this one deserves more love.
About Cursed
There is a werewolf loose in Los Angeles. Bodies are piling up left and right. When two siblings hit an animal on the road, their lives change forever. Both have suspiciously bite-like wounds and begin to notice physical changes. The full moon is fast approaching, and the siblings are running out of time to find a cure for their curse before it becomes permanent. They must find and kill the one who bit them to avoid a furry, vicious fate. The clock is ticking, and the moon is shining. What comes next?
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Cursed stars Christina Ricci, Jesse Eisenberg, Joshua Jackson, Judy Greer, Milo Ventimiglia, Portia de Rossi, Derek Mears as the Werewolf and Solar the Dog as Zipper. Wes Craven directed the film, and Kevin Williamson wrote the story.
This movie has a 15 percent Tomatometer Score and a 30 percent Audience Score on Rotton Tomatoes. It has a one-hour and 37-minute runtime.
My Thoughts
It honestly breaks my heart how low this movie is rated. I still vividly remember the first time I watched Cursed. Let me set the stage. I was home alone at night with my much younger sibling, only a young teen myself. The toddler had just fallen asleep, and I decided to peruse what was on our cable. This was when cable providers began showing information about what was on each channel as you checked the list or scrolled to a particular network.
Already a horror hound, I saw this movie listed, and it had just started. By this time, we already had Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street (still my two favorite movies), among other Wes Craven films, so seeing his name attached was an immediate yes. Plus, hello, werewolves, my all-time favorite.
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To put it mildly, I instantly loved this film. There are creepy moments, comedic moments, some blood and a classic story. Is it new and enterprising? No. However, it is enjoyable, makes sense from beginning to end and is not a slow burn. Not to mention all the homages to the original Universal Monsters. Even all of these years later, I still watch this one regularly.
As always, I strolled through online reviews to see what viewers disliked about this movie. After reading through countless thoughts from others, I am confounded as to why the rating is so low. Many people seemed to like Cursed but still gave it low points. There were a few that gave some thoughts. I mostly noted viewers who watched even though they already knew they did not enjoy Wes Craven or Kevin Williamson’s work. A few others found the story too slow or cliched. Others still disparaged the effects.
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Regarding the cliches, it is a frequent trope of Craven’s to use overdone horror cliches to make viewers look at the genre differently. Scream is a prime example of this idea. Cursed plays off of these tropes instead of relying on them. Essentially, it is a take on the classic werewolf tale.
I do not understand the thought of this movie being overly slow. Generally speaking, I hate slow burns. I feel this is not one. The initial incident happens early in the story, and everything immediately snowballs. Keep in mind that the film is only rated PG-13. Therefore, there can’t be a ton of gore. Regardless, the wolf is pretty brutal and violent.
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The effects are decidedly decent. The wolf reminds me greatly of the ones from the original The Howling. I prefer werewolves to walk upright and have a unique quality rather than appear as a giant version of a regular wolf. The ones in Cursed certainly meet these criteria.
Final Thoughts
While Cursed may not be a cinematic masterpiece, it is a well-done werewolf movie with a basic story, decent effects, many Universal Monster references and a stellar cast. If you go into it with an open mind and preparedness to have fun, it is an excellent movie. If you have not seen it, or at least not for a while, this film is available to buy or rent through all the major digital platforms.
Alright, horror fans, we have come to the end of another edition of Underrated Horror Movie of the Month. Have you seen this one? Let me know in the comments! Until next time, stay spooky and watch more horror movies. Before you go, check out the Cursed trailer below.
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